Social Ballroom Dancing/Rumba

Rumba is a latin dance that arose in Havana in the 1890s. As a sexually-charged Afro-Cuban dance, rumba was often suppressed and restricted because it was viewed as dangerous and lewd.

Later, Prohibition in the United States caused a flourishing of the relatively-tolerated cabaret rumba, as American tourists flocked to see crude sainetes (short plays) which featured racial stereotypes and generally, though not always, rumba.

There are several rhythms of the Rumba family, and associated styles of dance:

Today social Rumba is usually danced very slowly with a romantic quality and sexy flair, which results from Cuban motion.

The American style is done in a "Box" pattern to a Slow Quick Quick timing.